Chapter 104
Chapter 104
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: A Visit to the Grand Duke
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#104
"Vacation, you say?"
Luden wore a troubled expression.
"I was under the impression you'd just returned from one recently..."
He was well aware that Seo Woo-jin had nearly died on that trip.
The Sword Sage had personally sought permission from the academy, so it had become a hot topic among the instructors.
"And the destination is Mernotain, no less."
"...Is that a problem?"
Seo Woo-jin glanced at Luden.
Even he thought taking vacation so frequently might be an issue.
Last time, he'd gotten away with it thanks to Marthes's request, but vacations weren't meant to be used so casually.
An outing might be different.
"Could I ask the reason?"
Surprisingly, Luden didn't flatly refuse the request.
He respected Seo Woo-jin.
Even as an imperial knight, he ranked Seo Woo-jin above Baek Shi-woo.
With the astonishing displays at every training session, Luden was willing to approve a leave using his own authority, as long as there was a valid reason.
"Well, I wanted to pay a visit to the Grand Duke."
"What did you just say?"
Luden doubted his own ears.
"The Grand Duke. She told me to drop by anytime, and I happen to have some business with her. Oh, don't ask for details. It's a secret just between us."
He felt embarrassed even as he said it.
A secret between just the two of them...
He hoped Luden wouldn't think he was crazy.
But it was remarkably effective.
The weight of the name "Grand Duke" was beyond what a mere knight like Luden could casually dismiss.
"Understood. I'll issue your leave pass right away."
Luden knew something had happened between Seo Woo-jin and the Grand Duke.
He didn't know the exact details, but if Seo Woo-jin was speaking this way, their relationship must be closer than he'd imagined.
In one sense or another.
"How many days will it take?"
"I'll be back tomorrow."
An overnight trip.
Luden nodded with a peculiar glint in his eye.
'He seems to be misunderstanding something...'
Seo Woo-jin had no intention of correcting it.
Thanks to that, things had gone smoothly.
"Then I'll note that you'll be absent from today's and tomorrow's training."
Today was just Gainas's lecture anyway, and tomorrow was basic anti-monster combat drills.
Nothing Seo Woo-jin particularly needed.
"Thank you."
He took the freshly written leave pass and left the room.
Then, a serious problem occurred to him.
"...Right. Train ticket."
He'd been so focused on getting approval that he'd completely forgotten about how to get there.
"Asking the Sword Sage would be too shameless, wouldn't it?"
He wasn't brazen enough to show up at the Sky Tower and demand a ticket.
"Guess I'll just buy one with my own money."
First class in gold was out of reach, but other seats were affordable enough.
He'd accumulated a decent amount of stipend by now.
Waving the leave pass as he exited the academy.
It had been a while since he'd had some leisure time alone, so he decided to walk to the station.
Not in his academy uniform, but in the clothes Briani had gifted him, so he didn't draw much attention.
Humming a tune as he strolled through the capital, he soon arrived at the station.
"Let's see."
There should be a ticket booth somewhere.
Looking around, he spotted what looked like a sales window in the distance.
He hurried over—and sure enough, it was the ticket office.
"One ticket to Mernotain, please."
"What class seat do you need?"
The ticket seller gave Seo Woo-jin a once-over before asking.
Noting the fine clothes, he adopted a polite demeanor.
"Oh, just the cheapest one."
No need for extravagance, so he chose the lowest tier.
The seller nodded and extended his hand.
"10 gold."
"...Pardon?"
10 gold.
That was roughly a million won in value.
It was also the amount the academy paid him once a month.
The cheapest seat cost a million won?
'What kind of insane prices are these!'
He was so flabbergasted he let out a hollow laugh.
"10 gold."
Like a machine, the seller repeated himself.
With trembling hands, Seo Woo-jin pulled 10 gold from his pouch.
"Confirmed."
The seller took the money and handed over a scrap of paper.
A shabby ticket, incomparable to the golden ones.
'This cost a million won.'
Then what about the golden tickets?
It was unimaginable; he stopped thinking about it.
"About 10 minutes left?"
Fortunately, the train wouldn't be long.
He sat on a bench on the platform and took in the surroundings.
"All these people waiting for that expensive train?"
This world seemed to have more rich folks than expected.
Staring at them with hollow eyes, he felt someone sit beside him.
Glancing over, it was a woman with shimmering silver hair.
She was as beautiful as Briani, whom Seo Woo-jin considered the most stunning in this world.
"Hello? Nice weather, isn't it?"
She brushed back her silver locks with a hand and greeted him.
"Ah, yes. It is."
Seo Woo-jin nodded, hiding his fluster.
"On a trip? No, you don't have luggage, so maybe not?"
She tilted her head, and Seo Woo-jin blinked.
He couldn't fathom why she was approaching him with such questions.
"Just some business to attend to."
He answered as calmly as he could.
"Can you tell me what it is?"
Her face suddenly drew close.
Startled, Seo Woo-jin shot up from his seat.
"W-What?"
His face flushed as he asked.
He was utterly unaccustomed to such situations.
The woman chuckled and patted the chair with her palm.
"Sit down. I don't bite."
"...Do you know me?"
Otherwise, she wouldn't act so friendly.
"No, first time seeing you today."
"Then why?"
As Seo Woo-jin furrowed his brow, the woman smiled again.
A dizzyingly beautiful smile.
"Just caught my interest a bit."
She stood and took a step toward him.
"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves."
She offered her hand.
And stated her name.
"I'm Reina. Nice to meet you."
Seo Woo-jin boarded the train still looking dazed.
In his bewilderment, he'd even shaken her hand and given his name.
Fortunately, their seats were different, so they didn't travel together, but she was also headed to Mernotain.
"Urgh."
He scratched his head.
It felt like he'd been bewitched or something.
'Is it because this is my first time experiencing something like this?'
Maybe.
Or perhaps his guard was down from the rare downtime.
He wasn't sure, but it didn't feel bad.
Pulling himself together, Seo Woo-jin found his seat and settled in.
"...This is it."
As expected of the cheapest class—it was worlds apart from first class.
Like the difference between a luxury 50-pyeong apartment and a shantytown.
No proper seats; people were crammed in together.
"This is the 10-gold ride?"
It was beyond absurd—utterly ridiculous.
With a sigh, Seo Woo-jin squeezed into a nearby gap.
'Four hours like this.'
His earlier excitement plummeted.
"Urghhh!"
After four hours wedged in the tight space, his joints felt locked up.
His superhuman body wasn't truly strained, but the immobility itself was stressful.
Stepping off the train felt like regaining his freedom.
"The Grand Duke's castle is too far to walk."
Like his previous visit with Ailin, he opted for a carriage.
"1 gold."
Even carriages were pricey.
Still, far cheaper than the train, so Seo Woo-jin boarded with a sigh of relief.
"But who was that woman, really?"
He'd looked for her after disembarking, half-hoping to spot her again, but she was nowhere.
He was certain they'd met at the station.
Forgetting someone like that was nearly impossible.
So she really was interested in him...
"Yeah, I'm not the type to get overlooked wherever I go."
Baseless confidence welled up.
Smiling inwardly, he enjoyed the sights of Mernotain.
"It's improved a lot."
The city had been near ruins when he left.
Thanks to the dark elves' terrorism and Briani's battle with Gerald.
He'd wondered how long reconstruction would take, but astonishingly, most buildings had already regained their former glory.
"Fast. Really fast."
As Seo Woo-jin marveled at the rapidly recovering city, the carriage arrived at the Grand Duke's castle.
"...The castle still hasn't been repaired."
Unlike the city, the castle remained in ruins.
Tilting his head at the incongruity, he approached the gate.
"This is the Grand Duke's castle. Please state your identity."
A different guard from last time, but the same line.
"I'm Seo Woo-jin from the academy. I have business with the Grand Duke..."
"Please wait a moment."
The guard went inside.
He'd half-expected instant recognition, but no such luck.
Waiting by the gate, the guard soon returned.
"The Grand Duke awaits you. Please enter."
His attitude was far more deferential now.
"Thank you."
Inside the gate, Seo Woo-jin went through the same procedures as before.
Even down to the steward named Lumas greeting him.
"Long time no see."
"Ah, yes. You look much healthier."
"Thanks to you, Hero."
Lumas gave a small smile and led him to the magic circle.
"Oh, you're here?"
Briani welcomed Seo Woo-jin.
Seeing her radiant face brought a smile to his own.
"Long time no see."
"What long time? It's only been a few days."
In truth, not even a full month had passed.
"I didn't expect to see you again so soon. What's up?"
"Well..."
He felt a slight tension.
He trusted Briani, but he hesitated to bring it up.
As Seo Woo-jin wavered, she beamed.
"What's with the hesitation? We have no secrets between us."
That eased his nerves.
"True enough."
Relaxed, the words came easily.
"Do you know much about demonic energy?"
"...Demonic energy?"
Briani eyed him curiously.
"You're not here just to chat, are you? Something's happened."
He nodded at her words.
"In what cases might demonic energy be detected in a hero?"
Her brow furrowed at the direct question.
"Demonic energy in a hero..."
She stared at him intently.
For a long while.
Then Briani spoke.
"If they've sworn to become the Demon King's servant, if a heart demon has taken root, if they've directly absorbed demonic energy, or if they've fallen from grace through their own actions."
More cases than expected.
"Which one is it for you?"
Briani's beautiful eyes pierced into Seo Woo-jin.